Return of the Myriapods
by Tytonic
Summary: Fourteen years after the events that took place in the "Gregor and the War of the Myriapods", a new threat arises and challenges the peace which has befallen the underland. Thirteen year old Holly, daughter of King Gregor and Queen Luxa, must face a myriad of challenges and difficulties as everything she has ever know is torn away from her in a single evening. (OC x OC)
1. Prologue

**Hello people and welcome to my domain! So, I guess I really have some explaining to do, don't I? Okay, so I know that I said it would be a very very long time before I would be able to get around do doing this. I have been having issues with my book, and I am taking a huge break from it. I love writing, and I am not one to just stop, so I have to do something while I'm taking a break from my book. This whole story has been gnawing at the back of my mind, attempting to break free, and a few things pushed it out. One, is SkyChip bringing it up (I do not know why, but it gave me an immense urge to do this), and two is the frequent messages and reviews requesting this. Also, I want you guys to expect this to be better than War of the Myriapods. I have improved a great deal since then, and I intend to use that improvement to do my best. So if anything is lacking in any way, do not hesitate to notify me (or scold me if you want). ****So, enough of my endless babbling, and onto the story!**

**See you guys in a bit,**

**-Tytonic**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own any of The Underland Chronicles, only the characters I make up and the plot itself.**

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******ATTENTION: This will not affect the story SkyChip and I are doing in any way. Expect that story to come out some time soon.  
**

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**Return of the Myriapods**

**Prologue**

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"Why are we even posted here?" questioned one guard. "What I mean to say is, it is neigh impossible for King Xano to be defeated, so why exactly are we guarding him?"

"How did you get posted here if you do not even know why we do this?" Inquired a second guard. "It is well known that without the slasher's ruler, King Xano, the slashers would attack Regalia. If that ever happened, our entire race would be destroyed. We are still recovering from the War of the Myriapods, after all. It is our duty to ensure King Xano's safety, even at the cost of our own lives."

The first guard sighed, "Yes, I understand. It is just that the possibility of King Xano being harmed in any way is slim at best. The slashers are very powerful; it would take the entire cutter population to so much as make it here, and then thousands more to defeat King Xano."

"It is true that King Xano is as safe as one could possibly be, but we must always be prepared for the worst. No army could reach and defeat King Xano as is, and any enemy in their right mind understands that. We are here to ensure that an assassin, or something of the likes, does not do what an army cannot." Answered the second guard.

Before the first guard could respond, and third, higher ranked guard walked over. "Get ready, ladies! The uncharted lands expedition team is returning, and they are going to report directly to King Xano. It is our duty to see that this meeting goes smoothly and without problem, understand?"

Both guards wasted no time in saluting their superior, and shouting out a clear "Yes sir!" Immediately after, both departed in opposite direction, heading for their assigned positions.

Even after fourteen years, human guards had only recently been positioned in slasher territory. At the end of the war, every human was overjoyed to hear that the slashers would no longer be a threat. However, despite the human-slasher alliance, few humans could bring themselves to relax, believing that the slashers were still a large threat. In order to resolve this issue, Gregor the overlander, warrior of prophecy and king of Regalia, utilized the people's trust in him, and made it known that the slashers would never attack Regalia again, due to their loyal nature; they could never defy Xano, and he was to be trusted. However much the people trusted their king, they could not bring themselves to trust Xano, and only after many years of fruitful trade and commerce could they bring themselves to tolerate, let alone trust, the slashers. The people had then demanded that the king and queen take action, and ensure that the alliance between slashers and humans would never be severed. That said, twenty-five elite guards were sent to protect Xano, even if it cost them their lives.

Despite the low population of Regalia (due to the war), morals had never been higher, as the humans began to enter a golden age. Large advances were made in technology, agriculture, and even medicine. The previous life expectancy or 30-40 years old doubled, allowing the humans to flourish. Even more, the king brought forth a myriad of overland concepts, improving the economic and political state of Regalia.

Along with this, multiple species joined together and formed expedition parties, whose purpose it was to explore the uncharted lands. Many great discoveries have been made and are continuing to be made each day.

A horn could be heard in the distance. This was the signal that the exploration team was returning. This particular team consisted of four humans, along with five slashers. As a result, the light that could now be seen approaching was caused by the fires humans required to see.

It was but a few minutes before the party reached the wall. The humans had constructed this wall, in an attempt to protect Xano. The party passed through the walls gate without issue, and quickly approached Xano's position. The fact that there were five humans and six slashers, rather than four humans and five slashers, did not go unnoticed, and every guards immediately tensed up and prepared for a possible battle. It was also apparent that the extra slasher was not normal, and seemed to be the same race as Xano; a Symphyla. Once the party reached Xano, an unsettling silence fell upon the room.

Xano was the first to break this silence. "What is the meaning of this?" Of course, this was spoken in English, due to the humans presence.

The Symphyla scuttled forward. "Xano, greeting. I do believe that it has been a rather long time, has it not?"

Nobody could read Xano's emotionless tone. "I am surprised that you are still alive, Kedvoc. After all, I did make sure to inflict a fatal wound upon you. Do tell me, how did you survive?" Every guard pulled their swords when they heard this; Kedvoc did not so much as flinch.

"That is none of your concern, dear friend; allow us to move off of such trivial matters. I know that you are aware of my intentions today, so I will be forthright with this." He paused for a moment, and the tension in the air thickened. "I request that you resign, and allow me to take rule over the slashers."

Xano did not seem the least bit surprised. "May I assume that if I decline, I will be killed?"

"You are correct, my friend. I am sure you are aware of the fifty humans surrounding you, who all have crossbows capable of piercing your shell and killing you with a single shot."

"Indeed I am. May I ask how you obtained such a force? I know that King Gregor surely did not send them." Xano asked.

The extra human stepped forward. "I am sure you remember me, old friend. If not, than allow me to re-introduce myself. My name is Lord Hayden. All fifty of these humans I have personally selected and convinced to join me, in my endeavor to ensure the safety of Regalia."

"I am aware that they are under the impression that they are helping Regalia. I cannot convince them otherwise, that much is apparent. Now, Kedvoc, I wish to take you up on the offer you have not yet made. You will allow me to survive if I hand over my authority."

Kedvoc made a scratchy noise, most likely laughing. "You know me all to well, my dear Xano. I know you well enough to tell that this is not a decision made out of fear for your life. You will scuttle over to Regalia, and warn the humans of this situation, and have them evacuate before I destroy the city, am I correct?"

When Xano gave no response, Kedvoc made another scratching sound. "Very well then, let us begin."

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**If you have not, READ THE TOP, it has important stuff in it.**

**So, I am sure none of you would have guessed that this would happen. For those of you who noticed that the humans who wanted to protect Regalia did not respond when Kedvoc said he would destroy it, I can explain. They are under the impression that he will only destroy enough to get to Gregor, and then kill him. They think that Gregor is destroying Regalia.**

** So, I want to let you guys know that next chapter will probably be a second prologue, of a different scene. Sorry I cant get right to the story, but it's necessary. So, as usual all feedback is encouraged and appreciated, so give me any and all ideas! See you guys later!**

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**Question: How will Gregor Respond to what happened?**

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**Until next time,**

**-Tytonic**


	2. Prologue II

** Hello people and welcome back to my domaine! My update schedule is set in place, for those of you who didn't know. I will update every three or so days. However, under my circumstances I will often not be able to keep up with this, but I will try my best. So, as usual all feedback is encouraged and appreciated, so give me any and all ideas! See you guys later!**

**See you guys in a bit,**

**-Tytonic**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own any of The Underland Chronicles, only the characters I make up and the plot itself.**

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**Return of the Myriapods**

**Prologue II**

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The soft cries of a newly born child rang throughout the hospital corridors, announcing the arrival of a new generation. Gregor, who was at Luxa's side, could never have imagined it possible to be so worried. While the birth of a child usually went without issue in the overland, the underland was a different story. Defects or sicknesses were much more common, and as such the chances of his child's survival were far less than desirable.

Howard, the only doctor Gregor trusted with this, set a silk bundle in Gregor's hands and announced, "Your daughter, my king."

Holding the bundle firmly, but gently, Gregor turned to Luxa. "Not my daughter. Our daughter."

Luxa had a beautiful smile on her face. It was a special one, one he had only seen one other time: when they had first made love to each other. A tear formed in the corner of Luxa's eye; not out or sorrow, but out of joy.

"Our. . . daughter." she mumbled, as if testing the words. Her tears then began to flow freely. "She's beautiful."

The flash of a camera went off **[1]**, however Gregor nor Luxa noticed; they were too absorbed in the moment. Not only was this baby their first child, but she was also proof of their love, and the new princess of Regalia.

"What should we name her?"

"Holly." Gregor responded.

"And why is that?"

"Holly is a plant in the overland. It represents Christmas, a time of joy, happiness, and love. A time you spend with your loved ones." He explained.

"It is. . ." She paused for a moment. "Perfect. Our beautiful daughter, Holly."

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_Two years later. . ._

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As the car pulled into the driveway, Gregor's anticipation grew even more. It had been three years since he had last seen his parents or siblings, and he missed them sorely. Due to his duties as king, and his daughter, he had been unable to visit them. Normally, he would not have a means to get to Virginia, but Mrs. Cormaci had so kindly offered to drive him and Luxa.

As eager as he was, he was also very worried. Two years had passed and he had yet to tell his parents of their granddaughter **[2]**. His mom was highly against him getting married at the age of sixteen, so he could only imagine her reaction when she discovers that he had a child at seventeen. It was a truly horrifying thought.

As Gregor stepped out of the car, he rushed over to the other side, where he helped Luxa by taking Holly, who loved to squirm while being held.

Walking up to the front door, Gregor rang the doorbell. His family was expecting them, so he did not need to worry about surprising them too much. Albeit, having a child kind of spoiled that thought.

He could hear frantic steps behind the door, and soon after some banging noises and high-pitched yelps. Meg probably fell down the stairs, as she often used too.

Moments later, the door was yanked open, and a bouncing mass crashed into, arms wrapping around him. He eagerly returned the hug as best he could, due to the child in his arms.

"Hey Liz, long time no see!" He gasped out between breaths. For such a small girl, she was strong. "How's it going?"

She pulled away, although she was still bouncing with excitement. "Everything is great! I have so much to tell youuuu. . ." She stretched out her final word as she noticed Holly.

"Awww,she'ssocute!What'shername?Issheyourdaughter?She'saprincessright?Howoldisshe?" Lizzie couldn't seem to get her questions out fast enough. She was a very shy person, but apparently seeing her brother for the first time in years got her riled up.

"Woah, slow down Liz, one question at a time. I'll tell everybody at dinner, okay?" She eagerly bobbed her head up and down in response.

Within the next few minutes, Gregor, Luxa, and Mrs. Cormaci endured the same greetings from the entire family. Gregor did not miss the look in his mothers eyes when she saw Holly. He was going to get a huge lecture later.

Aside from the momentary look in his mothers eyes, everybody was very joyful, and fell in love with Holly immediately. She seemed to love the attention too. However, it was clear that everybody was waiting for an explanation.

All too soon, dinner came along, and Gregor began to get more nervous. He knew that his explanation would be fine, and his family wouldn't be mad or anything, but that didn't ease his anxiety. Luxa clearly noticed this, and held his hand underneath the table.

"So, yeah, I guess we have a lot to explain, don't we?" He asked. "Well, I'll start with what you all want to know the most. So, everybody, this is Holly. She is two years old, and as you can tell, she is our daughter." He claimed, as he leaned closer to Luxa to emphasize his point.

"She looks like you, Luxa!" Lizzie observed. "But where did the black hair and blue eyes come from?"

It was true, Holly had jet black hair, like Ares once had. She also had amazing eyes. They were blue, unlike her parents. They were such a sharp vibrant blue that you would think somebody drew them with a marker. It was weird, because nobody in Gregor nor Luxa's family had black hair or blue eyes.

"Honestly, I don't know. I think it has something to do with her being a halflander. Apparently the genes mix differently." He explained. "But I like it; it suits her well."

"She is also very similar to you, Lizzie. While you cannot tell from brief periods of time spent with her, she is very smart for her age." Luxa paused for a moment. "She is very shy, as well. While she does not appear so, she very rarely speaks. However, when she does, she can speak very fluently for her age."

This was also very true. Holly looked like a girl who would talk often, and would always engage in activities. However, she would always avoid other children and would only speak to her parents, or their bonds. This, along with her different hair and eye colors, resulted in her lack of friends. Gregor and Luxa were not too worried though. Hazard had gotten friends, and he was a halflander after all. The only friend she had so far was a flier named Nyx, who was only half a year old. However, fliers matured faster, so she was around the same age as Holly in bat years.

Nyx was a jet black bat, whose fur was dark gray in a few patches on her back. She had lightning blue eyes, much like Holly. Nyx was also the goddess of night, which was very appropriate, seeing that this particular bat could disappear without a trace in the blink of an eye. She was the very personification of stealth.

It was clear that Nyx was going to be Holly's bond when she gets older. They are very similar; Nyx is very shy, yet smart, much like Holly, and Holly tends to disappear without a trace often as well. Holly even gave Nyx a nickname, which was very unusual for her. She tended to call Nyx, Nya, and Nyx seemed to like it. She would not tolerate anybody else calling her that either.

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_Later that night. . ._

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It was close to one in the morning when Gregor's mother called him and Luxa out into the living room for a "talk". Gregor had expected this, and had already thought up ways to explain everything to his mother if she asked. Luxa did not seem as worried, but she probably did not understand. Having children at such a young age was common in the underland, after all.

"So, Gregor, would you like to explain why you decided to have a _child _at such a young age?" His mother questioned. The anger on the edge of her voice was clear, and he knew that this was going to be a long conversation.

Before he could answer, Luxa spoke. "I apologize, but I am not well educated in the ways of the overland. All I can say is that having a child at our age is considered normal in the underland, and as royalty, we are expected to have a heir to the throne. My parents understood this, and were only eighteen when I was born."

His mother seemed to struggle for a response to this, but eventually landed upon the most basic. "But, why?"

Gregor could have answered this, but Luxa seemed determined to make his mother understand. "Because, in the underland, humans do not live as long as those in the overland. While your life expectancy is around eighty or ninety years, ours is only thirty to forty years. In addition, the underland is a very hostile environment, and the likeliness of death is much greater than in the overland."

His mother did not seem to be capable of responding to this. While she would still lecture Gregor, despite what Luxa said, Luxa had completely changed the mood of the conversation, and His mother did not seem like she would push it any further.

"If you do not mind me asking, what exactly happened to your parents?" His mother asked. "It is okay if you don't want to share."

"No, it is okay. I have gotten over it years ago." Luxa began. "My parents went out on a picnic, and I wanted so badly to go. I remember crying when they denied my request. It's just, my parents never came back from the picnic. They were attacked by a group of gnawers, or as you call them rats, while out, and they were both killed, including their entire guard."

His mother seemed to regret asking, and did not respond to this.

"Well, Holly is already here, we both love her more than anything, and we are more than prepared to take care of her. You don't have to worry mom, she will be fine. If anything she will be raised better than any other child, since she is a princess." Gregor explained. "The only thing to worry about is her becoming spoiled."

His mother seemed to think this over a few time before responding. "I guess your right. Even if you cannot take care of her, there are plenty of people to help, like Dulcet, who took care of boots. Just ask me if you need anything at all, though, okay?"

"Okay, we understand. And in addition, Dulcet takes care of her when we cannot, so she is in safe hands." Luxa responded.

The conversation seemed to die out then, and everybody prepared to leave. Before Luxa left, Gregor's mom stopped her. When Gregor cast a questioning gaze her way, she waved him back to their room, so that she could talk to his mother in private.

"Luxa, dear, I know you are a good girl. If you ever need anything, anything at all, just talk to me, okay? As far as I am concerned, your my own daughter, got it?" She explained.

Luxa had long forgotten what it felt like to have a mother, so when she heard these words, they brought tears to her eyes.

She wrapped her arms around her 'mother', and whispered, "Thank you."

"Take it from his mother, Gregor can be quite the handful at times, so take care of him, okay?"

Luxa happily nodded. "Do not worry, he is in good hands."

Grace smiled in response, and kissed Luxa on the forehead before exiting towards her room.

If you looked close enough, you would have seen _that _smile on Luxa's face, for the third time ever.

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**Ok, so this thing was a pain to write. I just had a lot of difficulty on it, but I managed. I'm still a little doubtful about the ending, but it's okay. I guess. Sorry that I haven't started the actual story yet, I just felt that this would be a nice addition. Kind of spices it up a bit. So, as usual all feedback is encouraged and appreciated, so give me any and all ideas! See you guys later!**

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**1- Gregor had asked a doctor to take a picture beforehand (he had taken a camera from the museum).**

**2- They had exchanged a few letters over the years.**

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**Question: How will Holly react to what happened last chapter?**

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**Until next time,**

**-Tytonic**


	3. Chapter 1: A New Generation

**Hello people and welcome back! First off, sorry for not being able to update on time, I kind of got caught up on a few things. By things, I mean a few ideas for my book struck me and I had to get them down and work out some details. So as I said, I'll try to update every three days, but often times I will not be able to do so. ****So, as usual all feedback is encouraged and appreciated, so give me any and all ideas! See you guys later!**

**See you guys in a bit,**

**-Tytonic**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own any of The Underland Chronicles, only the characters I make up and the plot itself.**

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**Return of the Myriapods**

**Chapter 1: A New Generation**

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A young princess stirred slightly underneath her soft silk sheets as a soft light flashed across her closed eyelids. While she wanted nothing more than to sleep soundly without interruption, she was well aware that her position as princess, the future queen, would not allow that. She had seen her mother go with little to no sleep at all many times, and she dreaded the day that she would be placed in the same position.

Groaning in annoyance, she forced her body to move, and pushed the sheets off of her slim body. Despite the endless darkness, she could 'see' every detail, down to the smallest crack in the wall. Personally, she has no memory of it, but supposedly the old fart, Ripred, had shoved echolocation down her throat at the tender age of five too the point where it became second nature.

Crouched down a few feet away from the bed was her best friend Ana, holding an unlit candle. With slow and sluggish movements, the princess grabbed one of her many pillows, and hurled it right into Ana's face, knocking her back onto her butt.

She received a high-pitched squeak in response. "Owww, Holly! What'd you do that for?!"

"Ana," She said with the most serious tone she could muster up, which wasn't very serious, mind you. "How many times do I have to tell you to let me sleep? Get out, before I call the guards!"

"Oh lighten up for once! You're never any fun. . . Come on, I'm bored!" Ana whined.

"Will you just shut up and get out! I was trying to sleep!" She has been told she can be very rude when woken up, but that can't be true. . . Right?

"Uhh, fine! I guess you don't care that breakfast was an hour ago then." This caught her attention. "See you later!"

It was mere seconds before Holly burst out of her room, and into the royal living room. If there were two things she loved the most, they would have to be sleep and food. Despite her slim figure, she ate so much that she could give Ripred a run for his money.

As she burst into the living room, the light was too blinding and she was forced to close her eyes. She could still echolocate, so she had no problem 'seeing'. The first thing she noticed was Ana sitting at the couch, and a tray of food beside her. She could have sworn she saw Ana mumble something. Probably something along the lines of "Works every time"; it wasn't the first time she had done this, after all.

As Holly's eyes finally adjusted to the torchlight, she got her first look at Ana that day. She had long dark red hair, so dark that it was almost black. Her eyes were also a brilliant emerald green. Overall, she was very beautiful, and Holly was kind of jealous. True, she was called beautiful all the time, but she just couldn't see it.

"Well," Ana asked. "Are you going to eat it or not?" She didn't need to be told twice.

As Holly began to eat the food, she payed no attention to neatness, and shoved the food in her mouth.

Beside her, she heard Ana say something. "Geez. I might say this every day, but it's true. For a princess, you really are a slob."

Taking a pause, Holly responded. "Oh, thanks. You know as well as I do that I don't like being a princess."

It was true, she didn't like being a princess. She hated all of the special treatment, and people acting like they were her slave. Unless they were a friend (that list had a grand total of one person: Ana) or related to her, she couldn't have an honest conversation with them. But above all else, she hated how she was given everything. She couldn't work for anything, and it was all given to her. It wasn't that her parents were spoiling her, it was that she was a princess, and she wasn't allowed to work for anything.

As she finished the final few crumbs of her food, she stood up and cracked her back, yawning simultaneously. "Okay, so what torture am I being put through today. . . Training, right?" Ana nodded in response. "Oh, that's not to bad. . . I guess I'm up for it."

Ana squealed in response, which only made Holly roll her eyes. Ana could be very childish at times. It was understandable, though, because she was almost three years younger than Holly. While Holly was thirteen, Ana was only ten.

Walking back into her room, she heard Ana's rapid footsteps behind her as she headed to her room to get ready. Holly quickly changed into her training clothing, grabbed her sword from her bedside, and strapped it to her waist.

She then wasted no time in walking to her window, and jumping out. It was the morning, so her bond Nyx was already waiting for her. She did a few flips before landing square on Nyx's back.

"Hey Nya, how's it going?" That was another thing. While she loved Nyx, she hated the actual name, and called her Nya instead. It was nice, since the young flier wouldn't tolerate anybody else calling her that.

"Good. A few male flyers came up to me again, though." She responded. It was interesting, the way she spoke. Holly spoke like an overlander due to her father and her friend (Ana) who has two overlander parents. Since she has known Nya since birth, she picked up on the way of speech as well.

"Really? Didn't you let them all know that you already like somebody?" She asked.

This was a problem for Nya. She was considered to be very beautiful among the fliers, with her jet black fur, lighting blue eyes, and gray patches. As a result, many male fliers approached her. It annoyed her to no end, and she had rejected many. She had a crush on another flier, after all. It would come as a surprise to many who do not have a bond, but fliers are very similar to humans. They have the same thoughts, emotions, and feeling after all.

Nya sighed. "Far too many times. They just don't seem to get it, though."

"Well whatever. We have training, so we get to beat some of them up. Maybe that will get it through their thick skulls." Holly responded. She could hear Nya let out a small chuckle in response.

As they approached the arena, Holly drew her sword and prepared to land. Her sword was named "Twilight", and it lived up to the name. It was a long dark rapier with a circular cross guard. The cross guard had two jewels, one on each side, both of which gleamed like a sunset. Other underlanders failed to understand, but she had been to the overland a few times, and had actually seen a sunset. This sword was one of four blades made out of slasher shell that still existed. During the war of the myriapods, many had been made, but it was soon discovered that normal steel-shell alloy only retained its strength for a year or so. However, the high carbon steel used for the royal families swords' did not break down, and remained strong.

She knew that her father, her usual mentor, had a military meeting at the time, so her other mentor, Ripred, or as she called him, old fart, would be training her today. Despite his age, he was still very sharp, and could only be beaten by her father, Gregor.

Despite this, Holly never gave up, and always tried her best to beat him. She had come close a few times, but in the end she always lost. The only reason she was even taught by he father and Ripred was due to her uncanny talent with a sword. Perhaps she had obtained it from her parents, but she was faster than most, and could almost rival a ragers speed.

Some people theorized that she was a rager, and was just hiding it, while others believe that she inherited small amounts of rager. Either way, Holly knew she was not a rager. Her fathers descriptions never fit what she experienced while fighting. While it was true that everything slowed down for her, recent advances in anatomy revealed that it was normal **[1]**.

As Nya finally glided into the arena, she flew low enough for Holly to quickly flip off of her back, before she flew off to join the other fliers. Due to her mothers special training, Holly was also very adept in gymnastics, and could flip around with ease, unlike her father.

Holly landed with ease, and quickly slid into the sparring stance as Ripred approached her. Without a word, the old fart charged at her, hardly allowing her to sidestep his blow. She had expected this, since Ripred always starts off with that attack, in order to test his opponent. If she had attempted to strike his open back, he would have disarmed her with a single move.

She swiftly jumped as his tail swung low, in an attempt to knock her to the ground. As soon as she landed and regained her footing, she moved so that she and Ripred were once again facing each other down. In this scenario, she had two options. She could either attack, and Ripred's superior speed would be her downfall, or she could dodge his next blow, and counter. Blocking was not an option, due to her inferior strength.

In the end, Holly didn't really have a choice, and shifted into a stance which would allow her to dodge Ripred's next attack. As expected, Ripred soon surged forward at an impressive speed, giving Holly little time to react.

She had not sparred with Ripred in a a few weeks, and in that time her father had been training her to beat Ripred. While in the end it was impossible unless you were a rager, she had been coming closer and closer every time. Her father had given her a few tips on Ripred's weaknesses, and she knew that his largest flaw was his overconfidence. He was sure that he could win any fight, and in the end that cockiness would be his downfall.

And so, Holly's next move was specially designed to surprise Ripred. In the time they had been apart, she had practiced in order to perfect this move, so she could execute it fast enough.

Right as Ripred surged forward, Holly jumped as high as she could, and preformed a front flip, soaring clear over Ripred's head. In their previous fight, she had not been able to execute this move fast enough, and Ripred had barreled into her, so her sudden improvement was sure to catch him off guard.

As she finally touched down, she quickly stabbed her sword backwards, in hopes of catching Ripred's exposed back. She fully expect to hit either nothing, or to feel her sword sink deep into flesh, but what occurred surprised her. Something hit the side of her sword right before it made contact with Ripred, and pushed it off course, causing it to hit nothing but air.

As Holly whirled around, she noticed Ripred's tail whipping back and forth madly. It was clear that he had used it to block the attack, but he seemed aggravated that she had managed to catch him off guard.

In his aggravation, she wasted no time attacking. He would be slightly more reckless in his anger, and she would take full advantage of that. Holly fainted a strike to the right, using a spin to strike downward onto Ripred's head.

This attack was very predictable, but Holly was aware of that, and took advantage of it. A normal strike like this would require her to slash downwards, but instead of swinging the blade like you should, she kept it pointed upwards while she went through the motions. This caused her strike to come up short, but it put her in the perfect position to stab into Ripred, while he was positioned to block the initial slash.

While it was a very simple technique, very few people seemed to know of it and how effective it was. The entire move was preformed too fast for any observers to determine how it was preformed. If done wrong, it would be very simple to block, and would lead to your defeat.

Out of all of Holly's tricks, this was likely the best chance she had at victory. It was next to impossible to block if you were not expecting it, even for a rager, so she expected to at least graze the old fart before he slipped away.

But alas, something completely unexpected happened. Right before the blade made contact, something wrapped around her wrist and twisted it into an unnatural position, forcing her to drop her sword in pain. She instantly knew something wrong with her wrist, but she didn't care. She couldn't just give up.

As she tried to grab her sword again, something wrapped around her neck and threw her back a few feet onto the ground. She was surprised for a moments, but realized that it had been Ripred's tail that had grabbed both her wrist and her neck. She as so stupid! How could she have forgotten about her greatest disadvantage? While she only had one sword, Ripred had claws on both hands, and a tail.

Pushing herself back onto her feat, she grabbed her sword again, and brushed the dirt off of her clothing. She felt very disappointed that she had failed, when she had practiced so hard for this moment.

"Congratulations, shrimp. You might have been able to kill a fly with those moves." It was just like him to make such a comment when he had almost lost.

"Shut up, we're going again." She responded.

Ripred snorted as he slid into position.

As Holly slid into a sparring stance as well, she felt her wrist ache under the weight of her sword, which was surprising, because her sword weighed hardly a pound **[2]**.

She was still a little shaken up from her loss, so she didn't think when she struck. She surged forward, attempting to run him through, but hit nothing but air as Ripred slid to the side. She hadn't thought before attacking, and her move had left her wide open.

She spun as quickly as possible, attempting to block the oncoming blow, but when the claws hit her sword, a sharp pain shot into her right wrist, forcing her to drop her sword once more, and clutch it with her other hand.

That was Holly's largest weakness; she had absolutely no pain tolerance. She could trip and fall and she would still feel the pain hours later **[3]**. Luckily, she was fast enough to evade the enemies attacks while fighting.

As a result, it felt like somebody had cut her hand off, and she clutched it in pain. While Ripred was a selfish jerk, at least he understood when somebody couldn't continue.

"Great, now your hurt." He snorted. "Head to the hospital, shrimp, it's probably sprained."

Holly gave no response, and whistled loudly, calling for Nya. It was mere seconds before Nya flew by, catching Holly as she jumped.

"What happened, Holly? Are you okay?" She asked.

"I think I sprained my wrist. Even if I didn't, I can't hold my sword now, so I'm not gonna stick around, I have better uses of my time." Holly Responded.

"Oh, do you now? Does it have to do with a b-" Nya teased, before getting cut off.

"Shut up! Yes, it does, okay? You know that, so don't go blabbing it out! There would be huge problems if anybody found out. . ."

"Well, your parents know."

"That's different! They won't leak it, okay? It would be bad if somebody went public with it. . ." Holly explained.

Their conversation continued on like this, with Nya teasing Holly, until they reached the hospital. Since she was the princess, she got swarmed by doctors the second she landed, all checking if she was alright.

It took around half an hour, due to the doctors overreacting, and telling her dad that she got hurt. Of course, he rushed straight to the hospital, leaving his meeting half-way, to check on her. He then scolded the doctors for leading him to think that she was seriously injured, when in reality she had only sprained her wrist.

Soon after Holly was released from the hospital, she made her way to her room. What Nya had said was completely true. . . She did have somebody to meet.

* * *

** Sorry this took so long. It would have been out two days ago but it was difficult to write. Not only that, but I actually wrote this chapter twice to get it right. So, I have figured something out, people. I do not know how long this story will be, but I am certain that it will not be as long as War of the Myriapods. Sorry about that, but it would only reduce the quality if I attempted to stretch it out too much. I do not know how long each chapter will be either, but I expect each to be around 2500-3000 each. So, as usual all feedback is encouraged and appreciated, so give me any and all ideas! See you guys later!**

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**1- This is true. The brain detects that the situation in urgent, and it slows down in order to take in more information.**

**2- This is not unrealistic at all. A rapier can easily be a single pound, since they are built for speed.**

**3- It's completely possible to have such a low pain tolerance. A girl in my school as like that; something that would only tickle me brought her to the ground in pain. Literally.**

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**Question: One of the genres is romance. Anybody care to take a whack at why? And don't be blunt, I want you to be VERY specific. Just saying that Holly will fall in love doesn't count as an answer. That much is obvious, I want you to guess who she falls for, and describe that person.**

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**Until next time,**

**-Tytonic**


	4. Chapter 2: Krystal

** Hello guys and welcome back! I have to say, I'm loosing my magic touch. I used to be able to punch out a chapter in five to six hours, but not so much anymore. It's taking me almost twice as long to write these things, and it's really making updating this thing on time a huge pain. So, I doubt I can finish this chapter today, and I'm completely busy for the next few days, so I'm very sorry if this is late! Hey, maybe I can finish it on time. I HAVE been really eager to write this , as usual all feedback is encouraged and appreciated, so give me any and all ideas! See you guys later!**

**See you guys in a bit,**

**-Tytonic**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own any of The Underland Chronicles, only the characters I make up and the plot itself.**

* * *

**Return of the Myriapods**

**Chapter 2: Krystal**

* * *

Soon after Holly was released from the hospital, she made her way to her room. What Nya had said was completely true. . . She did have somebody to meet.

* * *

**-O-**

* * *

"Krystal, there you are! I was beginning to think that you had forgotten, or even worse, blown this off." Said a young boy, as he spotted his friend.

"You know I would never do such a thing. Why in the world would you think I would not come?" The young girl asked, surprised by her friends bizarre thoughts.

"Yes, I guess you are right. It is just that your parents are very strict, are they not?" He asked. "When will I meet them, by the way? It is only right that I pay my respects."

"You could say that." She responded. "And you will meet them eventually. You know as well as I that they are not fond of meeting others."

"Yes, I do." He quickly changed subjects. "Well, It is a good thing that you were able to come."

Krystal nodded in response.

A few days ago the young boy, Tydos, or Ty, as he preferred, had invite Krystal to join his family for dinner. She had yet to meet his parents, and she was very eager to do so. However, they still had a a little time before dinner, so Ty had arranged something.

The underland was very different from the overland; there was much less one could do for entertainment. Due to the nature of the underland, and the lack of entertainment, combat became more than just a means of survival. It became a sport.

And so, Ty had arranged for both him and Krystal to watch an official ranking match. An official ranking match was a concept created shortly after the war of time. Queen Luxa, in order to boost Regalia's moral, had created a ranking system based on ones combat skills. A series competitions was held to determine the base ranks in the system. Shortly after, it was decided that the ranks would not be set in stone, and you could raise of lower your rank depending on the matches you either won or lost.

Upon the warriors return, he had taken the number one position away from the flea bag Ripred. Soon after the war of the myriapods, when the warrior became king, he gave up his position in the ranks, along with Ripred. It was decided that the winner of an official competition would gain the right to challenge Ripred or the warrior. One of these competitions was held each month, and many of the victors challenged Ripred or the warrior, but none have ever won.

A match was to be held today, one between two outstanding warriors. The fourth best against the third best. Ty had invited Krystal when the match was first announced, and she had eagerly accepted his invitation. To be honest, she was kind of flattered that he had invited her, rather than one of the girls who would dote on him. While he was just an average looking boy, his personality attracted many girls.

It unsettled Krystal greatly, how so many girls would try to win him over. It had taken her some time to work out her feelings, but she realized that she had a crush on him long ago. While she had not originally wanted to look at Ty as anything more than a friend, she had been unable to control her rising feelings.

In the end, when Ty had invited her she had been far more excited than she cared to let on. True, she would have been able to see the match normally, but she much preferred going with him. She always loved the look of amazement on his face when he witnessed the fights.

They had been walking for a few minutes, but Regalia was not too large of a city, and they had met up near the arena, so the entrances was already within sight. A battle between top warriors was often a big deal, and many people were witnessing it, so it was very crowded. Along with the crowds came a torrent of sound, which prevented Ty and Krystal from talking to each other.

Due to the crowds, it took them both around another ten minutes to find decent seats. However, once they had they were close enough that they could hear each other if they leaned in.

"Ty, are you excited?"

"More then you could imagine! An official fight between the number four and number three? That does not happen often, so who would not be excited?" He paused and looked off at the royal booth. "Hmm, looks like the princess is not here. I wonder if she sick. There are very few reasons she would miss this fight. . . She is ranked number two, after all; the winner of this fight will likely challenge her."

Krystal could only nod in response. If you did not know Ty, you would think that he had a huge crush on the princess, while in reality he just respected and looked up to her. If she told him to slit his own throat, he would not hesitate. While this would normally make Krystal jealous, it did not, for various reasons.

She tapped on his shoulder. "Stop daydreaming about the princess Ty, the fight is about to start."

He immediately blushed. "I was not daydreaming!"

"Whatever."

Ty rolled his eyes in annoyance, and focused on the scene in front of them. The two warriors had moved into position, and were awaiting the king's word. The king did not usually witness official ranking matches, but when the match was among the top ten, he was required to witness it in order for it to be official.

Without a word, the king flashed a signal, and the fight began.

The two men rushed forward, locking their swords together. From that single movement, Krystal could tell who would win the fight. The number four warrior was slightly more composed, and had greater skill. To the untrained eye, they seemed like two equal warriors, but she could see past that. The way they had locked their swords was in no way random. Four had positioned it so that he could simply twist and push his sword, and it would force three off of balance, leaving an opening for him to strike.

Ty turned to her. "Krystal, who do you think will win?"

"Four will win. I give him say. . . seven seconds. Seven seconds and this fight will be over." She guessed.

Ty looked at her like she was crazy. "How can you be sure?"

"Just watch."

Within three seconds, four utilized his advantage and pulled the sword to the left while twisting it. This left three's entire back exposed. Four used this new opening to strike, but his blow was blocked by three in the nick of time.

By this time, five seconds had passed, and Krystal could see the opening that would be three's downfall. As she assumed, four stepped slightly to the left, and spun, using his right elbow to hit three in the head, knocking him out. Just like that, four won the official ranking match, and stole three's rank.

Ty turned to look at Krystal with amazement in his eyes. "How did you do that? You accurately predicted the outcome of the fight, and even how long it would take!"

"I-I just. . . My dad taught me how to fight. . ." Well, it wasn't a lie.

"Really? Then I can not meet to wait you dad, he must be a great guy."

"Uhh. . . if only you knew." She muttered under her breath.

"What was that?"

"Oh, nothing, nothing at all!" She stammered.

The walk back to Ty's house was not a very long one, but despite the quick battle they had spent too much time making their way through the crowds afterwards, and found themselves pressed for time.

"Come on Krystal, we're going to be late at this rate!" He urged, "My parents hate it when I am late!"

"How did we even get into this mess?!"

"I do not now!" He cried. "This way! This alley comes out close to my house. It should save us some time."

As he announced this, he quickly turned and began to run down the alleyway. Krystal tried to stop him, but she could not catch up in time, and she watched as he tripped over a leg, and fell flat on his face. Despite the basic training every underlander received, he could not defend against such an attack as a larger man picked him up by his shirt, and pinned him to the wall. Krystal had seen this attack coming, and had attempted to warn him, but she had been too late.

Regalia has very people people of the sorts, but like any city, there will always be thug's and thief's. Even from Krystal's position, she could smell the alcohol, and she knew that this man, along with his friends, was drunk. Despite newly enforced drinking laws, drunk men or women were fairly common, but few ever caused serious trouble.

Krystal was still a little ways away, and would not be able to immediately help Ty, so he would have to hang on for a little bit.

As Ty struggled to get free, the drunk man punched him in the face with surprising strength. "Stop squirming, you f****** brat! Now give me everything you have!"

Due to his position, Ty could do absolutely nothing, not even give the man what he wanted. The mans anger only grew as Ty continued to struggle. The man pulled his fist back, preparing to punch Ty again. As his fist was about to connect, his entire arm went limp and fell loose to his side.

"W-what the f***?!"

Before the man could spit out anymore words, his eyes bulged slightly, as if he was in great pain, and he collapsed onto the ground unconscious. Next to the man sat Krystal, who had clearly done something to him.

Ty let out a few deep breaths, attempting to calm himself, and looked over to Krystal. "What exactly did you do to him?! That was amazing!"

"I hit a few of his pressure points, and stopped blood flow to his brain. The lack of oxygen knocked him out." She explained, as if it was no big deal.

Before Ty could respond, She started up again. "I'll stay here and watch over him. You go find a guard to arrest him. No need to rush, now we have an excuse for being late to dinner." With a quick nod, Ty rushed off back onto the streets.

Within a few minutes, a brown flier landed as the mouth of the alleyway, and a guard, along with Ty, slid off of its back.

"What exactly happened here?" The guard asked.

Krystal responded, "This man attacked us, but we took care of it; he should only be unconscious, not injured. I think its pretty clear that he was drunk."

The guard nodded in understanding, and hefted the man onto his back. "Ok, I understand. You may be called in later for questioning, so don't be surprised if a guard approaches you."

After the guard had secured the man to the fliers back, Ty turned to Krystal. "I am glad that is over. I felt helpless, pinned against the wall."

Krystal smiled at him, and it visibly cheered him up. "Don't worry about it. Nobody could have done anything in that situation without the proper training."

"I guess you are right. Come on now, my parents will be furious at us." He responded, and began to walk in the direction of his house. Krystal followed in toe.

Ty's parents had indeed been very mad at them when they had arrived, but they had understood the situation, and forgiven them. Dinner had gone smoothly, and Krystal had loved the food. Ty's mom was truly an amazing cook.

Along with dinner, Krystal had held a nice conversation with Ty's parents. They complimented her on many things, but had asked about her hair. It was a touchy subject for her. Krystal had never shown her hair to anybody aside from her parents, and she always kept it tied up underneath a hat that she liked. The reason she never showed her hair, was because it always embarrassed her in front of other, or drew attention to her. She disliked being the center of attention.

"Hey Krystal, can I talk to you?" Ty asked soon after they completed their dinners.

"Sure." She knew that he wished to talk in private, as he signaled to the staircase that led to the second floor balcony.

She followed him up the stairs, struggling to ignore the amused look on his parents faces. As she stepped out through the doorway, and onto the balcony, she took in the view. Due to the houses position, which was slightly higher up than most, they could look out over most of the city. It was truly an amazing view, perhaps one of the best in Regalia.

"So, you wanted to talk about something?" She asked.

"Well, uhhh. . . we've been friend for a while now." He stuttered out. "And well, I-I've wanted to tell you this for a while now. . ."

"Yes?" She thought she knew what he was about to say, but she didn't dare get her hopes up.

"K-Krystal, I-I think I l-"

Before Ty could finish his sentence, a loud sound disrupted them. This particular sound had not been heard for over fourteen years, and struck fear into the hearts of the most hardened soldiers. War horns.

Regalia was under attack.

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**So, I don't think I did a very good job on this chapter. Bits of it seem a bit rushed, but I really can't do anything about it, unless you want another pile of useless crap. I do like the end of the chapter, though, and I REALLY am looking forward to writing next chapter. I won't be able to anytime soon, so it will also be a bit late, so bear with me. I assure you, it will be worth the wait. Next chapter will be my favorite in this entire story, so I'm sure you will all love it if your anything like me. So, as usual all feedback is encouraged and appreciated, so give me any and all ideas! See you guys later!**

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**Question: Who exactly is Krystal, and how will she play a role in this story? I honestly can't even guess how many of you will get this right. It's possible for nobody to get it, but it's very possible for you all to get it.**

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**Until next time,**

**-Tytonic**


	5. Chapter 3: Revealed

**Hello guys, and welcome back! So, I have something important to say. I know I said I will try to get chapters out every three days, but that clearly isn't working out. Multiple factors have come into play, and it's almost impossible for me to keep to that schedule. I will still try to meet it, but don't expect me to. ****So, as usual all feedback is encouraged and appreciated, so give me any and all ideas! See you guys later!**

**See you guys later,**

**-Tytonic**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own any of The Underland Chronicles, nor do I claim to. I hold any and all rights to the characters and plot I create.**

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**Return of the Myriapods**

**Chapter 3: Revealed**

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Before Ty could finish his sentence, a loud sound disrupted them. This particular sound had not been heard for over fourteen years, and struck fear into the hearts of the most hardened soldiers. War horns.

Regalia was under attack.

* * *

**-O-**

* * *

Before Krystal could even comprehend what was happening, Ty grabbed her hand and began to lead her back into the house. She followed without a word, knowing full well that it was for the best.

As they stepped into the living room, Ty's parents quickly ushered them over into seats, most likely to discuss the best course of action. The chair that Krystal sat in was comfortable, but she could not bring herself to relax in such a situation.

"Ty, we have gone over what to do if such a situation arises, so you know what you must do." His mother quickly explained.

With a nod, Ty sat up and quickly walked to another room, most likely his bedroom. Every citizen was required to own a sword, due to the harsh underland conditions; Ty was likely getting his. Within moments, he came back out of his room with a standard steel sword strapped to his waist.

"Krystal, darling." His mother said. "What are you going to do? Your parents may be waiting for you, so you may go if you must."

Krystal shook her head. "My dad would not want me going anywhere right now. He will come to me."

"Ok, we understand. You can borrow a sword, if you would like." This time, it was his father speaking.

She shook her head once more. "I have mine on me. It is a concealable weapon, for protection, so it is hidden on my back." She tapped on the scabbard through her clothing, making a metallic clicking sound, to prove her point.

Ty's parents seemed mildly surprised, but let it go. "I understand. There is nothing we can do until we receive instructions, so just be prepared for anything."

With that said, Ty's parents both stood up and left the room. There was absolutely nothing they could do until they received instruction, so they could only wait and hope for the best. Ty quickly stood up and took Krystal's hand. He then proceeded to lead her back onto the balcony of his house.

"What do you think is happening, Krystal?" He asked.

"We are under attack, that much is clear. As of now, there is no way to tell which species might be attacking, but it does not matter. We are still recovering from the last war; we cannot withstand an attack of any kind. Unless the gnawers come to our aid, Regalia will undoubtedly be destroyed." She explained.

"Yes, you are right." He agreed. "It is bizarre; we might all be killed within the next hour, yet I feel so calm and level-headed."

"That is good." Krystal responded. "If you can stay like that in a fight, you will be up to twice as likely to survive than if you panic."

"Yeah." He sighed. "Krystal, I want to finish what I was saying earlier, in case something bad happens."

"Go on."

"We have been friends for a long time now, and I feel that we know everything about each other. . ." He paused for a few seconds. "Krystal, I. . . I like you. A lot." He paused again, and took a deep breath. "As. . . As more than a friend. . . Krystal, I-I. . . I think I love you."

When those words reached her, she felt immensely happy, but within moments that happiness dissipated, and was replaced by sadness.

She took a few steps back. "I-I. . . I'm sorry, Ty."

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**Ty's Point of View**

* * *

Before she said this, Ty swore her saw a flicker of happiness in her expression, but it was replaced by sadness so quickly that he was unsure it had even been there in the first place. As her words reached him, he felt very disappointed, but was not at all surprised.

"I. . . I feel so stupid." He said, with a slight chuckle. "How could I have thought that a girl like you might like a guy like me?"

"N-no! That's n-not what I mean. . ." She stuttered.

Before Ty could ask what she meant, she continued. "I. . . I'm sorry. I've been lying to you this entire time. . ."

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

"I-I'm not who you think I am. . ." She muttered.

"What are you talking about, Krystal? Are you okay?" He asked.

She shook her head. "Don't call me that. . .Tha-that isn't my name. . ."

"I do not have the slightest clue what you are talking about." He said. "I-if you are not who you seem to be, then. . . then who exactly are you?"

"I. . . My name. . ." She stammered, unable to complete her sentence.

For the first time, Ty noticed the tears that were running down her face, and her silent sobs. He couldn't stand to see her cry. . . it broke his heart in two. Reaching forward, he wiped the tears off of her cheek with his hand, and then held her cheek in his hand, forcing her to look at him, rather than at the ground.

"Then. . .Whoever you are, I'll just have to fall in love with her too." He declared.

When he said this, he was delighted to see that she had a light smile in place of her earlier frown. Despite this, he wanted to know who she really was. The fact that she had been hiding her true identity was unsettling to him.

She looked like she was about to respond, but looked past him instead. Turning around, he followed her eyes and noticed that she was looking at large flier in the distance. He somehow knew that it was her father.

"I-I'm sorry Ty, I have to go." She said.

Before he had a chance to respond, she reached up and took hold of her hat. Taking it off, a mess of straight black hair fell down to her waist. She stepped forward a step and planted a small kiss on his cheek, before jumping off of the balcony, only to be caught by a black and gray flier.

As he watched her fly off into the distance, he slowly began to comprehend what had happened. He was still confused, but one thing as for sure: whatever had just happened was unexpected.

He reached up and placed his hand where she had kissed him. "Krystal is. . . Krystal is Princess Holly. . ." He muttered

As he watched her fly away, he began to understand more of the situation. In a way, it made some amount of sense. It explained why he had never seen the princess when she was around, and why she was so knowledgable in certain subjects, such as combat.

However, he couldn't fully understand why she would hide her identity. She was royalty; she had anything she could possibly want. . . right? So, why would she pretend to be a normal underlander, when if she had just revealed who she was everything would have worked out?

But. . . No, that's not true. If she had revealed who she was, she would have stood out and immediately been recognized as the princess. But, what was wrong with that? Why wouldn't she want to be recognized as princess?

Because she wasn't that type of girl. Even if she wasn't who he had thought she was, he had still gotten to know, and fallen in love with her, despite who she truly was. He knew that she was more of the quiet type. She hated being the center of attention, and if she had revealed herself, she would have gotten nothing but attention and praise.

However, that only looped back around to the first question. Why? She was royalty, she already had anything she could ever want. But. . . No, she didn't. He had always wondered why she insisted on doing everything herself, but now he understood. As princess, she was never _allowed _to do anything herself. She had also always hated praise in such a way that it was unreal, but now it made sense. As princess, she got nothing but praise.

So then, she did it because. . . because she didn't want to be princess? Holly, princess of Regalia, doesn't want to be princess. . . Now that was something you didn't see everyday.

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**Holly's Point of View**

* * *

As she sat on Nya's back, she felt tears streaming down her face. He had just confessed his love to her. . . but she couldn't accept it. She wouldn't be able to look him in the eyes again, she was too ashamed of herself. They had been friends for years, and she had been lying to him the entire time.

But, that was done. Now that he knew who she was, they just couldn't be friends; It would be too awkward. If they were to be friends again, everything would change. The slightest mistake, and he would be on his knees begging for her forgiveness. They would be more like master and servant rather than friends.

And so, He hadn't confessed his love to her. He had confessed to Krystal; he didn't love Holly. Despite what he said, he couldn't. It would never work out.

This thought only brought more tears to her eyes. Even if they couldn't be more than friends, she still wanted to be friends, but even that privilege had been taken from her.

"You told him, didn't you?" A soft voice asked from just below her.

This only brought on a fresh wave of tears and sobs, which was enough to confirm Nya's question. "Don't worry, I'm sure he will understa-"

"No! He won't understand, he just won't. . . Even if he does, it's not like we can be friends anymore. . ." She choked out through ragged breaths.

"I know you well enough to know that this isn't like you, crying so much. It's something more. . . isn't it? Did he. . . confess to you?" She asked. The new wave of sobs confirmed her guess. "If he truly loves you, then he will understand and forgive."

Holly did not reply to this, and only continued to cry. She didn't need to reply; Nya knew her well enough to know what she would say.

_It's useless. When she gets like this, she never listens to reason. No matter what I say, she'll believe that he will hate her, or something ridiculous like that. _Nya thought._ He loves _her_, not the princess. The fact that he didn't know she was princess only proves that he loves her for who she is, and not just for her status._

Holly's father seemed to be having similar thoughts as he listened to Holly cry. In such a situation, there was little he could do to comfort her. He would have to wait for her to settle down first before he say anything to her. In her state, she wouldn't see the reason or logic behind anything at all.

As Holly's crying began to quiet down, an eerie silence befell them, only ever shaken by the occasional sob from Holly.

Amidst this silence, three loud horns suddenly burst forth from the palace. Three horns, a signal that has never before been heard.

Regalia was being evacuated.

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** Yeah, sorry for the short chapter, but this was just a good place to leave it. I guess the whole focus here was the romance bit. . . Well, I liked it. I think that I did a good job with it, but it's not done yet! They still haven't made up or whatever crap I'll have them do. That'll be next chapter, so look out for it! So, as usual all feedback is encouraged and appreciated, so give me any and all ideas! See you guys later!**

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**Question: What will happen to Holly and Ty's friendship?**

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**Until next time,**

**-Tytonic**


	6. Chapter 4: Parental Talk

**Hell guys, and welcome! I'm deeply sorry that it has been over 2 months since my last update, but. . . well, things happened. To begin, my mother just got lung surgery, and is having a very slow recovery. On top of that, my aunt recently died from cancer, which was devastating to me. School also started, and my teachers love to give a lot of homework. Plus I have German, which I have to study endlessly for. On the bright side, I have a few classes with an old friend! I haven't seen her since kindergarden, and it's nice to know that were still friends (though I admit, I have developed a huge crush on her over the past few years, despite not seeing her. I'll ask her out, once I get enough courage). While that's good, my sister is also gone! She is now in college, and almost never home. A serious breath of fresh air if you ask me (though she needs my help daily to move stuff into her dorm, or wire stuff (she can't flick a light switch without getting electrocuted). In the time I have been absent, I have been working on my book. I'm making very slow progress (only have 2 chapters completely done and edited, but the whole this is outlined).**

** So, I'm sorry to say that I am not getting back into weekly updates, but I will try harder. No promises though. **

**See you guys in a bit,**

**-Tytonic**

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**Disclaimer: I do not own any of The Underland Chronicles, nor do I claim to. I hold any and all rights to the characters and plot I create.**

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**Return of the Myriapods**

**Chapter 4: Parental Talk**

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Splitting this silence, three loud horns could be heard from the palace. Three horns, a signal that has never before been heard.

Regalia was being evacuated.

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**-O-**

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It took three hours to evacuate every citizen. In that time, Holly had her mother, explain to her what was happening. Supposedly, Xano had lost leadership over the slashers, and their new leader was going to attack Regalia. They had sent a flier to confirm what Xano had said at the time. This flier never returned.

Holly did her best to pay attention, but her thoughts were still scrambled, and her heart was broken. Seeing this, her mother had tried to comfort her.

"Holly dear. . . do not fret, it will all work out. I'm sure he will understand if you just explain it to him." Her mother explained.

When Holly did not respond, her mother continued. "If he loves you at all, he will understand, and forgive. Your father did not want to be king, yet he accepted it for the sake of love. I'm sure Ty can do the same."

Yet again, Holly remained silent. Seeing this, Her mother gave her a small and sad smile, before leaving her on her own.

That had been three days ago. Since then, Holly had not left isolation.

In those three days, the whole of Regalia had traveled to the gnawers land, where they were offered shelter and protection. Regalia's destruction had been announced soon after the citizens had settled in.

Despite all that was occurring, Holly did not leave her makeshift room to address her people as she should. Instead, she spent her days crying, or just sitting, in her room thinking stuff over. After the first two days, her parents had given up getting her out. She had made it painfully clear that she wanted to be left alone. She wouldn't even let Nya in anymore.

She knew that, as princess, she would have no choice but to come out eventually. She just wished to delay that moment as long as possible.

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**Gregor's Point of View**

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A knock could be heard throughout the small temporary home, which happen to be a small cave with a sheet draped over the entrance. Footsteps could be heard from inside, and soon, the curtain was drawn back, revealing a man and a women, both middle aged.

With a gasp, both of them dropped to their knees. "Y-you majesty!"

Gregor frowned slightly. "Stand up, and please, call me Gregor." When he received a confused expression in response, he instantly understood. "I see that you do not know. Lets sit down, this mya take some time to explain."

Shortly after, all of them were sitting in a circle on the stone floor.

"So, let me explain what I meant." He said. "You know your sons friend Krystal, correct?"

"Yes, we do. They have been friends for years. We have not seen her since the evacuation though. We guess that she is with her father currently." The man answered.

"In a way, you are correct. You see, it seems that your son did not explain what happened before Krystal left."

"What do you mean? I'm sorry, but I do believe you are mistaken. He did explain to us what transpired." The women exclaimed.

Gregor looked at her, and let out a small sigh. "Then clearly, he did not tell you all of it. You are aware that he confessed his love to her, correct?"

When the women nodded, Gregor continued. "Now, before I continue, are you aware of who Krystal is?" Without waiting for a response, he continued. "Have you even wondered why she covers her hair, or why she never looks you in the eyes? How she seems too smart for an average girl her age?"

A realization dawned upon their faces, but was mixed with disbelief. "You seem to understand. Yes, Krystal is my daughter. Krystal is princess Holly."

"B-but why? Why would she hide her identity?" The mother muttered.

"Because she doesn't want to be princess. She never has. All she has ever wanted is a normal life, as a normal girl. Ty was able to give that to her."

"D-did he know? Did he know who she really was?" The father asked.

"No, not until he confessed to her." Gregor said. "And that is why I am here today. You see, While it is not my place to tell you, you need to understand. Holly loves Ty, as more than a friend. However, she is convinced that he hates her now for lying to him, and refuses to talk to anybody, let alone leave her room."

Both parents looked shocked, but managed to keep quiet. "So I have come to ask for Ty's help. I believe that only he can clear this up."

It took both parents a few moments to process this. "Then he will help in anyway he can." The mother responded. "But if I may ask, why are you allowing this? Why are you allowing a commoner, like Ty, to be with your daughter?"

Gregor chuckled a little. "Because he's who she chose. I don't care about status. In the overland, there was no status. If they wished it, anybody could marry anybody. In addition, look at me. I married Luxa, and became king. Not many know this, but in the overland my family was poor, very poor. We barley had enough money to feed ourselves. It is not some bodies status which should determine who and what they are."

Both parents nodded with enthusiasm. It seemed they like the idea of it.

"And just so you know, I fully expect, and approve, of Ty becoming the next king. It is always citizens who know what is best for the citizens." He whispered, so that Ty, who was surely eavesdropping, would not hear.

Standing up, Ty's mother looked deeper into the cave. "Ty, I am aware that you have been listening."

With a moments hesitation, Ty stepped out of the shadows, his eyes on the ground. He wordlessly followed as Gregor began to leave.

"Ty, my boy, relax. I know that you may not be happy with Holly right now, but it will be fine. You heard me say it. She loves you. While you shouldn't have found out this way, it's necessary, else you'll never get the courage to confront her." Gregor explained.

Ty did not respond. However, Gregor knew that his words had reached him, and had served their purpose. Through echolocation, Gregor could tell that there was a small smile on Ty's face. However nervous he was, he was happy that he would get to see her again.

It took somewhere around twenty minutes, but soon they found themselves outside of a small cave which had a curtain draped over the entrance. Holly's room.

"Are you sure this is fine? I mean, it's her room after all. I shouldn't just walk in without permission." Ty asked.

"Do not worry. Just go. . . She'll be happy to see you." And without waiting for a response, Gregor turned around and walked away, leaving Ty alone.

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**Holly's Point of View**

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She heard a soft knock at the entrance to her makeshift room. Intent on ignoring it, she turned her back to the entrance. However, when she heard the knock a few more times, she realized she could not ignore it.

"Go away, I don't want to speak to anyone right now!" She partially shouted.

However, instead of hearing a response, or footsteps leaving, she heard the shifting of cloth, and realized that the person had just entered her room.

Turning around sharply in order to yell at, or possibly attack, whoever had entered he room without permission, she froze in place. Standing before her, was none other than Ty, the cause of her distress.

Before she could recover, he walked forward and, wrapping his arms around her, drew her into a hug.

"I may not understand why you did it," he whispered, "But I forgive you for doing it."

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**This was terrible, by my standards. I was not in the mood to write at all, but even so, I should have done better. I'm disappointed in myself, but there's nothing I can do about it, unless I want to redo this entire chapter.**

** The talk did not work out exactly how I wanted it to, but oh well. It serves it's purpose, and I'm to tired to change it right now.**

** So, I will see you guys when I can get around the the next chapter, whenever that may be.**

**Thanks for stickin' around,**

**-Tytonic**


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